The Analytical Chemistry Core will provide analytical support for the Research Projects and the Botanical/Plant Genomics and Nutrition/Animal Cores. The facility will minimize equipment and personnel costs, provide expert technical support, training, and quality control. The specific aims ofthe facility are to: (1) develop and/or validate analytical procedures for quantifying active medicinal compounds and their metabolites;(2) provide analytical quantitation for quality control of diets prepared by the Nutrition/Animal Core for the Research Projects and screening of botanical samples for the Botanical/Plant Genomics Core;and (3) measure circulating levels of active medicinal compounds and their metabolites in body fluids of research subjects for the Research Projects. The Analytical Chemistry Core will evaluate and validate analytical methodology for testing phytoestrogens in soy, S-sustituted cysteine derivatives in gariic, sutheriandiosides and sutheriandins in Lessertia frutescens (also known as Sutheriandia frutescens), apocynin in Apocynum and Picrorhiza species, and the phenolics in elderberry. All botanical test materials, commercial compounds, and diets will be routinely examined for purity and/or active or marker compounds. Elderberry, soy and apocynin-producing botanicals will be screened for active constituents to identify high and low-potency materials for research studies. Circulating levels of botanical active compounds or their metabolites will provide valuable information for the three Research Projects.